Electric can opener



April 1965 G. 1.. CQNGDON 3,178,813

ELECTRIC CAN OPENER Filed April 10, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 i i i? 61391. gg azz L j M, M *VMJM L April 1965 G. L. CONGDON 3,178,813

ELECTRIC CAN OPENER Filed April 10, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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ELECTRIC CAN OPENER FiledApril 10, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 V Z! 1 Geog e Z. 6823761012 30 w F 31 26 3f United States Patent 3,178,813 ELECTRIC QAN OPENER George L. Congdon, Fort Atkinson, Wis, assignor to Burgess Vivrocrafters, Inc, Grayslake, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 186,408 9 Qiaims. (Cl. 30-4) This invention relates to electrically powered can openers and more particularly to can openers designed especially to meet the particular needs of restaurants and other food-serving institutions whose activities require the opening of substantial numbers of relatively large cans, such as the standard No. 10 (American Canners Association) can.

The cost of labor is a substantial factor in the cost of preparing food for serving in restaurants, hospitals and other private and tax-supported institutions. Equip ment and procedures serving to increase the productive output of persons engaged in the preparation of the food contributes to the efficiency of the operation with resulting savings. A very substantial proportion of the food is supplied to the kitchens of the restaurants and serving institutions in the relatively large cans, known as No. 10 cans, which are uniform in their dimensions. Each such can must, of course, be opened and its contents removed as a part of the food preparation procedure.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an electrically-powered can opener which, while capable of opening almost any size or shape of can, is especially designed to open No. 10 cans rapidly and with a minimum of attention and manipulation on the part of the operator. An important specific object is to provide such a device which will receive and cut the lid from a No. 10 can which is merely slid along the table top on which the can opener is mounted to the opener without the necessity of manually lifting the can from the table top and placing it into cutting position with respect to the can opener, thus leaving one hand of the operator free to manipulate the operating lever of the can opener to initiate the can opening operation. A related object is to provide for the automatic operation of the can opener, once initiated, to cut the lid from the can and stop the operation of the opener upon completion of the cutting operation whereupon, at a time convenient to the operator, the can may be released from the opener and set down. upon the table top without the necessity of any manual support or handling by the operator.

Another important object of the invention is to pro vide a structure which may be easily and rapidly dismantled for thorough cleaning of all parts which may become dirty by accumulations of food materials from the cans and which may be easily and rapidly reassembled after cleaning for use.

Another object is to provide a mounting for the can opener which will both contribute to the ease of dismantling and reassembly for cleaning purposes and make it possible for the can opener to open cans which are even taller than No. 10 cans.

A general object is to provide an electrically powered can opener especially for institutional use which is sturdy in construct-ion and dependable in operation and which is provided with means for the ready adjustment of structural relationships which may from time to time require such adjustment to ensure the proper and efiicient operation of the machine.

Further objects and additional features of the can opener of this invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the can opener showing certain parts in dotted lines in operative canopening position thereof;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the can opener rotated ninety degrees upon its support and showing in dotted lines the can opener rotated a further ninety degrees for purposes hereinafter described;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the can opener showing in dotted lines a reclined position for purposes hereinafter described;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 and showing the can opener supporting structure;

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the parts of the can opener which may be readily disassembled for cleaning;

FIG. 6 is a vertical elevational view of the interior mechanism of the can opener, this view being taken at the line 66 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 77 of FIG. 6 and showing the mechanism in can cutting position;

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the can opener mechanism, certain parts being partly broken away to better reveal the working parts of the mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken at the line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken at the line 1tl10 of P16. 7;

FIGS. ll, 12 and 14 are detailed views in cross section taken at the lines 11-11, 12-42 and 14-14, respectively, of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a detailed view in cross section taken at the line 13-13 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. is a detailed View showing the can turning wheel disassembled from its drive shaft.

The can opener assembly, comprising the motor units, transmission system and opener mechanism are mounted within a two-part housing or frame consisting of a front panel 1 and a rear cover 2. The housing, in turn, is mounted upon a support 3 the details of which will be described hereinafter. Except for a back-up plate which is carried by the rear cover 2, the entire can opener mechanism is mounted upon front panel 1. Electric motors 4 and 5 are arranged to drive a pulley 6 which, in turn, drives sprocket wheel 7 to turn the toothed canturning wheel 8. Pulley wheel 6 and sprocket pinion 9 are fixed together and turn on a fixed shaft 10 which is mounted in boss 11 of front panel 1. Can-turning wheel drive shaft 12 is journaled in a boss 13 at the distal end of a bracket 14 which is pivotally mounted upon fixed shaft 19 to swing thereabout for purposes hereinafter described. Endless chain 15 is entrained in driving position around sprockets 9 and 7 at any position of bracket 14 since the distance between shafts 1t) and 12 remains constant.

The purpose of thus mounting the can turning wheel drive shaft 12 in a swingable bracket is to provide means for moving the can turning wheel 8 from the retracted position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1 to the can Cutting position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1. This movement is manually controlled by means of a handle 16 on the externally projecting end 17 of lever 18 which is pivoted at 19 and is bifurcated at its inner end 20 to form an arcuate guideway 21 for the reception of bushing 22 which surrounds shaft 12 and is fixed to boss 13 of bracket 14. With this arrangement, the position of can turning wheel 8 is controlled by manipulation of handle 16, the two sides of guideway 21 cooperating with the bushing 22 in a camming action to swing the bracket about the shaft 10 responsive to movement of lever 18.

The motor circuit is controlled by a switch 23 which is mounted upon a switch arm 24 with the switch-operating plunger 25 arranged adjacent a boss 26 of front panel 1. The switch-supporting arm 24 is pivotally mounted is depressed or released as arm 24 is moved upwardly or downwardly about the pivot support 27 by means hereinafter described. Wire connections of the switch with the motors and line conductors are not shown The external parts of the can opener are shown in the exploded View of FIG. 5, the assembled parts being shown in FIGS. 1, 7 and 10. A cutter blade 28 is firmly held in place in recess 29 of blade-carrier arm 30 .by means of clamping screws 31 (see detail FIG. 14). A fixed post 32, which may conveniently be the stud end of the screw whichalso serves as the pivot 27 of the motor switch 23 (see detail FIG. 12'), provides the support for one end ofv blade carrier 30, bore 33 in boss 34 at the pivot end of blade carrier 30 being sufiiciently large to accommodate post 32 and permit easy fitting of the part onto the post and easy withdrawal when the. assembly is to be dismantled. A transverse bore 35 in the free end of blade carrier 30 receives stud 36 which stud is the head of a bolt which passes through a clearance slot 37 in front panel 1 and is fastened to switch-carrying arm 24 near the free end thereof to move this arm, and thus the switch, up and down to close and open the switch .(see detail FIG. 11). The diameter of bore 35 is substantially greater than the diameter of stud 36 to provide means for adjustment of the position of the blade carrier relative to stud 36.

A cover part 33, which also serves as a support for bracket 39 carrying a permanent magnet 49 and as a clamp to provide firm lateral support for cutting blade 28, has a curved top surface 41 which conforms with the inner surface of a head 42 which curves overthe top of head 44 designed to permit turning of this bolt manually. The opposite end of cover 38 is additionally sup- 4 V can-cutting wheel and blade are such as to require a minimum of power to operate the opener, this particular unit is intended for heavy duty and an abundance of power must be supplied for unfailing operation. Because of the many advantages related to cost, maintenance, and operation of the shaded-pole type ofmotor, such motor units are employed. While shaded-pole motors advantageously are small and low in cost for a given running torque andpower, inherently'they have a low starting torque. To achieve much more than a nominal starting torque with a shaded-pole motor requires one of higher power rating than economically achievable in shadedpole design. Furthermore, in a can opener liberal allowance must be made for variable drive conditions.

ported by the head 45 of a screw that is threaded into front panel 1 to such an extent that a re-entrant portion 46 of cover 38 fits snugly under the screw head 45 when the cover is in assembled position. a

The supporting base for the can opener consists essentially of two parts and permits the tilting of the unit from a stable vertical position to a stable backwardly inclined position and also permits rotation of the can opener about its vertical axis for purposes hereinafter more fully described. A base plate 47 having a downwardly extending flange 48 at one end thereof is preferably provided with openings for screws 49,which serve to hold this base firmly to the top of atable or other work surface. A yoke 51 formed by a second plate 52 having upstanding flanges 53 is. loosely riveted or bolted to base plate 47, as by bolt 54, so that yoke 51, which directly supports the can opener unit, may be rotated upon the fixed base 47 to face the can openerin adiiferent direction. C0 operating dimples 55 are provided in both support plates 47 and 511 as a' means for positioning the can opener in different stable positions at right angles to each other.

The upper edges of the upstanding flanges 53 of yoke 51 are cut to provide inclined edges 56 and 57, the apex formed by these inclined edges being'located toward the rear of the can opener which is supported by relatively heavy pivot bolts 58 passing through the flanges 53 at the apexes of the angles formed by the inclined edges and threaded into the housing. The Width of the back cover of the housing is reduced to accommodate the flanges of the yoke 51 and provide shoulders 59 and 6t) which cooperate with edges 55 and 56 to limit movement of the can opener about the pivots 58 to the vertical andtilted positions.

Having described the structure of the can opener somewhat generally, the several novel features and the operation of the device will now be discussed in. greater detail;-

Power and transmission system Although the design andrelative arrangements of the It has been found that the merits of this type of motor may be most advantageously utilized by providing two motors of modest power rather than a single motor. These motors 4 and 5 are mounted to drive pulley 6 through belts ($1 of rubber or other resilient material which tends: to permit optimum operation of the individual motors without interference with each other. By using .two smaller motors and dual resilient drives, a smaller safety factor need be provided. Any tendency tooverload one on starting will transfer load to the other.

. A greater efiiciency on maximum drive is achieved, as

well as build-up of torque without stalling.

To adequately transmit the necessary power, two belts are used with each motor, motor 5 being set out upon its mounting slightlymore than motor 4 to minimize lateral pressure on the motor bearing. The relatively lower speed of the'shaded pole motors minimizes the problem of speed reduction through the transmission system. While power is transmitted inthe first stage of the transmission system by means of resilient friction belts which permit some slippage and adjustment to permit the motors to accommodate themselves to theirrespective loads, the second stage, being lower speed with correspondingly increased torque, isa positive drive of the chain and sprocket system.

When the switch 23 is closed, motors 4 and 5 are activated. At the instant of starting, the resilience of belts 61 permits the motors to turn somewhat faster than they could if positively coupled with pulley 6. This permits the motors to more quickly develop full operating torque, the startingtorque of shaded-pole motors being relatively low. So long as the motors are operating can-turning wheel 8 is rotated to perform its function in the can opening operation, 7 a I 1 Cqn gmsping, cutting and releasing mechanism As noted above, movement of handle 16 between the solid and dotted line positions indicated in FIG. 1 results in movement of can-turning wheel 8 between the rewardly into lid piercing and cutting position with respect to blade 28 and to rotate the can against the edge of the blade to cut the lid therefrom. The motor switch 23 is closed by the upward movement of stud 36 resulting from upward movement of blade carrier arm 30 as the lid of the can pushes the blade upwardly as can-turning wheel 8 is moved toward can-cutting position With'a can in place to be opened. Only the relatively light spring which is a part of the switch mechanism for holding'the same in normally open position need be overcome in closing the switch to start the motors in operation. Thus, the motors are started andwheel 8 started turning somewhat before the can-turning wheel is in its final cutting position, but turning of the wheel with the lid in contact with the cutter blade drives the bracket 14 assembly the rest of the way to full can-cutting position. As will best be seen from FIG.

8, this final movement of bracket 14 imposes an auxiliary spring pressure tending to open switch 23 as a stop 64 at the free end of bracket 14 engages and moves leg 65 of a leaf spring mounted in a boss 66 (see also detail FIG. 13) of front cover 1 to cause a second leg 67 of the leaf spring to press downwardly upon a boss 68 at the end of switch-supporting arm 24. This additional loading of the switch arm augments the internal spring of switch 23 in urging the switch to open position.

The upward component of force exerted against the inclined edge of blade 28 as the lid is driven against this blade during the cutting operation holds stud 36 at its upper or switch-closing position. When the severing of the lid is completed, this upward pressure is substantially relieved whereupon the combined forces of leaf spring 67 and the internal spring of the switch move the switchsupporting arm downwardly to open the switch and stop the motors. The can-turning wheel 8, however, remains in position to support the can between it and the blade until the wheel is retracted by manipulation of handle 16 of the opener whereupon the opened can may be removed or, in the case of a No. can, is simply dropped to the table top. The severed lid is held by magnet 40 pending removal by the operator.

The proper closing and automatic re-opening of the switch require the proper dimensional relationship between the cutter blade which receives and transmits the forces which operate upon the arm 38, and the stud 36 which controls the switch. An adjustment screw 69 (FIGS. 5 and 11) is provided for this purpose, it being understood that the inner end of this screw and stud 36 are always in engagement during the operation of the can opener.

It will be appreciated that maintenance of the proper clearance between can-turning wheel 8 and the cutter blade 28 is an important consideration in the proper functioning of the can opener. Too little clearance results in overloading the motors due to friction resulting from the too tight squeezing of the sidewalls of the can between the wheel and blade; too much clearance may result in wheel 8 losing its grip under the rim of the can. Because of this necessity of reasonably close tolerances for this clearance dimension, the side seam in the can introduces a serious problem inasmuch as the thickness of the can at the seam is approximately quadrupled. To meet this problem, drive shaft 12 of can-turning wheel 8 is supported with a degree of axial resilience. As is best seen in FIGS. 7 and 9, a leaf spring washer 70 is inserted between bushing 22 and hub 71 of sprocket wheel 7. This spring biases shaft 12 and wheel 8 inwardly. A relatively stifi leaf spring 72 (shown also in dot-dash lines in FIG. 8) is mounted at one end only upon bosses 73, as by means of screws 74. The free end of leaf spring 72 bears against the end of a screw 75 which is threaded through the end portion of a partly hollow boss 76 of rear cover 2. Screw 75 is accessible from the rear of the can opener for ad justment.

A ball 77 is journaled in the inner end of shaft 12. This ball bears upon the inner surface of leaf spring '72 and the position of the latter determines the axial posi tion of shaft 12 and therefore of wheel 8 and the clearance between the wheel and can-cutting blade 28. Thus, the shaft is floated between leaf springs '70 and 72 with the latter determining the position of the shaft and wheel 8. While the proper clearance may thus be provided and maintained for the normal operation of the can opener, the resilience of spring 72 also makes it possible for the mechanism to adjust itself to the temporary need for greater distance between wheel 8 and blade 28 as the side seam of a can being opened passes between these parts. As is shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 9, leaf spring 72 gives sufiiciently to accommodate the side seam and, of equal importance to the dependable operation of the can opener, leaf spring 72 again drives the wheel back to its normal clearance position as the seam passes.

To prevent displacement of the cutter blade 28 as a side seam passes between the blade and the can turning wheel, a finger projects inwardly from cover 38 of which it is a part. There is sufficient clearance between finger 95 and blade 28 so that the blade can pivot on post 32. However, when a side seam of a can 63 passes between the cutter blade and can wheel 8, finger 95 will prevent outward movement of the blade. As previously explained, under those circumstances, wheel 8 and its shaft 12 can move inwardly against the resistance of spring '72.

An enlargement along one side of the back of cutter blade 28 aids in maintaining alignment of the blade and the can as a side seam passes the blade. Under such circumstances there is a tendency of the can to twist to one side with respect to the machine and this is counteracted by an abutment which will limit the twisting that can occur. In the disclosed embodiment this abutment is formed by a presser part 78 held against the back of blade 28. Presser part 78 is received in a groove 89 in carrier arm 30.

In accordance with a primary objective of this invention, the can opener is designed to open cans with a very minimum of time and effort on the part of an operator. Since the bulk of canned food materials are supplied in No. 10 cans, the can opener of this invention is designed especially to quickly and conveniently open such cans although the opener is capable of opening cans of substantially all sizes and shapes. No. 10 cans however, may be pushed with one hand across the surface of the table or bench which the can opener is mounted in the position shown in FIG. 1 or in dotted lines in FIG. 2 and, upon manipulation of the handle 16 with the other hand, the can is picked up and opened without further manipulation or attention on the part of the operator. To make this possible, the top of can-turning wheel 8 when in retracted position must be lower than the bottom edge of the rim of a No. 10 can and the lowermost portion of blade 28 must be at a height greater than that of the top edge of the rim of the No. 10 can. The extent to which the can should be lifted to operative can-opening position should be relatively small. This is illustrated in FIG. 7 by the relatively short distance that can 63 is displaced from the supporting surface 50. The total lift of the can should be no greater than about 0.75 inch.

With this dimensional relationship, the can can be moved to a position with the rim inside of the blade without any interference therefrom after which the wheel 8 is brought up into engagement with the under edge of the rim by movement of handle 16. Thus, the initial lifting movement of the can results from the manual movement of handle 16 and a final lifting results from the final movement of the wheel 8 to can opening position following the starting of the motors. With the can thus elevated free of the table top, it is readily turned by wheel 8 for the cutting operation. When the lid has been completely out from the can, the motor switch is automatically opened and the motors stopped, as above described, while the can is held in the opener until handle 16 is pushed to again retract wheel 8, permitting the opened can to drop the very short distance to the top of the table. A bar 79 or equivalent guide element prevents the can from swinging inwardly toward the opener while the can is being opened.

It should be noted (as seen in FIGURES 3 and 7) that the front face of front panel 1 is inclined at an angle of approximately six degrees from the vertical and the entire mechanism of the can opener is similarly inclined. Accordingly, as can-cutting wheel 8 is moved upwardly to grasp the rim of a can to be opened, it also moves toward the can for the more certain engagement of the rim and secure gripping for elevating the can and operating upon it. Conversely, when the opened can is being released, wheel 8 moves inwardly away from the can, as

well as arcuately downwardly, to thereby quickly release the can sothat it will drop directly down with some guid- V ance from guide 79. b

An important feature which contributes to an overall machine which will lift cans for opening is the incorporation of apparatus which will enable the can drive wheel to remain at rest, non-rotating, until the can is held between the wheel and the cutter blade. Although prior art devices have utilized a similar feature, this feature has a different function in the can opener of the present invention which alone supports the can to beopened as it is moved into can cutting position. In the disclosed embodiment the can drive wheel is maintained inoperative by the structure for actuating the motor switch 23. The drive wheel lifts the can until the top of the can pushes up on the cutter blade 28 to raise stud 36, and

I 4. down in front of the work table while beingopened. In this position'fof the can opener, No. and other cans may, of course, also be opened, but the cans must be manually supported in bringing them to -the can. opener and removing them from the can opener. after opening. In all vertical positions of the can opener, the shoulders 59,'in'rear cover 2, of the can opener housing rests upon the inclined edges 56 of flanges 53. With the pivot 58 located toward'the rear of the opener, the weight of the unit holds it in stable vertical position. When it is Here, again the unit rests in stable position with shoulonly then is switch 23 moved upwardly to actuate plunger 25 and close the switch. I-t'is apparent that by the time.

the top of the can is in a position to contact the cutter blade, the can rim is locked between the cutter. blade and the can turning wheel.

Dismantling and cleaning Sanitation requires that the parts of the can opener which unavoidably accumulate food material from the cans and dirt from the atmosphere, be easily cleanable. To this end, provision is made for these parts to be easily removed and, after thoroughly cleaning, reassembled.

Dirt issu bstantially excluded from the interior structurev by the can opener housing and an arcuate shield 80 which is mounted upon and carried by drive shaft 12 to cover the arcuate slot 81 in front cover 1. Slot 81 is provided for the passage of drive shaft 12 through the front panel to support and turn the can-turning Wheel 8 and permits the shaft to move as bracket 14 is swung between retracted and can-cutting positions. 82 of the face of the front panel is set slightly back from the upper portion 83 to provide an arcuate shoulder 84 which serves as a guide for the outer curved edge of shield 80.

The parts of the can openerwhich should be dismantled for cleaning are shown in the exploded view of FIG. 5. Normally, the blade 28 and presser part 78 need not be disassembled from the blade-carrier arm 30. Thus, the entire assembly of parts'to be dismantled for cleaning is held in position by a single bolt 43. Removal of thisbolt immediately releases the magnet bracket 39 and cover 38 is removable by shifting slightly to the right to free the cover at shoulder 46 from the retaining screw head 45 Blade-carrier arm 30 may then be drawn away from post 32 and stud head. 36., Can-turning wheel 8 is easily removed from drive shaft 12 by grasping it with the fingers and pulling it off. As is shown in greater detail in FIG. 15, wheel 8 is held in position on the squared end 85 of the drive shaft by friction, only, provided by an O-ring 86 seated in annular groove 87.

When the parts have'been thoroughly cleaned, they may .be readily reassembled and clamped in positionby tightening bolt 43.

Can opener support A novel supporting structure (1) provides secure support of the unit upon a table top or otherwork surface,

(2) permits rotation of the can opener about its vertical axis and provides for holding the unit inpositions at right angles to each other, and (3) permits tilting or re:

clining of the unit to enhance accessibility of the external working parts for dismantling, cleaning and reassembly.

which are taller than No. 10 cans, the can opener is rotated to the position shown in solid lines in FIGS; 2 and 3 in which position the bottom of the can may extend The lower portion ders-60 inrear cover 2 bearing upon inclined edges 57 of flanges 53, the weight of the unitbeing preponderantly back of pivot 58. The removal of cover part 38 and bracket 39 by the withdrawal of bolt 43,is simplified. With the cover part off carrier arm 30 can be withdrawn. Wheel 8 readily can be pulled from its shaft. After they are washed and the'front of the machine cleaned, the sequence is reversed. Particularly cover part 38 and bracket 39 are much moreeasily replaced with the front face generally horizontal rather than vertical.

1. An electric can opener for opening cans of a given height having a rim'about the top thereof, and adapted to be used in conjunction with awork surface on which a can is positioned, said opener including: a frame, said frame including a front face; 'a bracket rearwardly of said front face and movable between a lowered and a raised position; a stud projecting from the front face; a carrier arm pivotally mountedon the stud and movable axially on, the stud; a cover plate overthe carrier arm and releasably secured in place to hold the carrier arm axially on the stud; and means to adjustably limit the pivotal movement of the carrier arm; means connected to said bracketto move said bracket between said positions; a can-turning wheel and shaft means rotatably mounted in said frame and'connected to said bracket to be raised and lowered with the bracket, said can-turning wheel projecting beyond said front face and having an outer end spaced from said face; a cutter blade attached to the arm and projecting downwardly below the top of the ,Wheel when the wheel is in a raised position, the bottom of the blade being above the top of the wheel when the Wheel is in the lowered position, said blade having aninner face spaced fromthe outer end of the wheel when the wheel is in theraised position toengage a portion of a can therebetween; means connected to the frame to support the frame atlan elevation with respect to the surface such thatthetop ofthe wheel inthe lowered position is below the "rim of one of said cans on the surface and in the raised position is above said rim, and the bottom of the blade is above the top of said rim; and power means, connected to the wheel to rotate the wheel, said power means including a switch to energize the power means to.

rotate the can-turning wheel when the switch is actuated,- said switch being operatively connected to the carrier arm to actuate theswitch by the pivotal position of the carrier arm when the cutter blade is raised; whereby with said wheel in lowered position a can on the surface may be moved against the wheel and the wheel raised to'engage under the rim of the can with the can being raised by the upward movement of the Wheel until the can is caught between the wheel and the blade raised to energize the power means to commence rotation of the wheel.

2. An electric can opener for opening cans of a given height having a rim about the top thereof, and adapted to be used inconjunction with a work surface on which a can is positioned, said opener including: a frame, said frame including a front face; a bracket rearwardly of said front face'and movable between'a lowered and a raised position; a stud projecting from the front face; a

carrier arm pivotally mounted on the stud and movable axially on the stud; a heated support projecting from'the front face a spaced distance from the stud;.a cover plate over the carrier arm and stud and having means fitting about a portion of the support to releasably secure said portion to the support; a bolt threaded into the stud and having a head outside the cover plate and abutting the outside of the cover plate to releasably hold the cover plate onto the stud; means to adjustably limit the pivotal movement of the carrier arm; means connected to said bracket to move said bracket between said positions; a can-turning wheel and shaft means rotatably mounted in said frame and connected to said bracket to be raised and lowered with the bracket, said can-turning wheel projecting beyond said front face and having an outer end spaced from said face; a cutter blade attached to the arm and projecting downwardly below the top of the wheel when the wheel is in a raised position, the bottom of the blade being above the top of the wheel when the wheel is in the lowered position, and blade having an inner face spaced from the outer end of the wheel when the wheel is in the raised position to engage a portion of a can therebetween; means connected to the frame to support the frame at an elevation with respect to the surface such that the top of the wheel in the lowered position is below the rim of one of said cans on the surface and in the raised position is above said rim, and the bottom of the blade is above the top of said rim; and power means connected to the wheel to rotate the wheel, said power means-including a switch to energize the power means to rotate the can-turning wheel when the switch is actuated, said switch being operatively connected to the carrier arm to actuate the switch by the pivotal position of the carrier arm when the cutter blade is raised; whereby with said wheel in lowered position a can on the surface may be moved against the wheel and the wheel raised to engage under the rim of the can with the can being raised by the upward movement of the wheel until the can is caught between the wheel and the blade raised to energize the power means to commence rotation of the wheel.

3. An electric can opener for opening cans of a given height having a rim about the top thereof, and adapted to be used in conjunction with a work surface on which a can is positioned, said opener including: a frame, said frame including a front face; a bracket rearwardly of said front face and movable between a lowered and a raised position; a stud projecting from the front face; a carrier arm pivotally mounted on the stud and movable axially on the stud; a headed support projecting from the front face a spaced distance from the stud; a cover plate over the carrier arm and stud and having means fitting about a portion of the support to releasably secure said portion to the support; a bolt threaded into the stud and having a head outside the cover plate and abutting the outside of the cover plate to releasably hold the cover plate onto the stud; said cover plate having an inwardly projecting finger between said support and stud; means to adjustably limit the pivotal movement of the carrier arm; means connected to said bracket to move said bracket between said positions; a can-turning wheel and shaft means rotatably mounted in said frame and connected to said bracket to be raised and lowered with the bracket, said can-turning wheel projecting beyond said face and having an outer end spaced from said face; a cutter blade attached to the arm and projecting downwardly below the top of the wheel when the wheel is in a raised position, the bottom of the blade being above the top of the wheel when the Wheel is in the lowered position, said blade having an inner face spaced from the outer end of the wheel when the wheel is in the raised positionto engage a portion of a can therebetween, said blade having an outer face in juxtaposition to the finger to limit the outward movement of the blade; means connected to the frame to support the frame at an elevation with respect to the surface such that the top of the wheel in the lowered position is below the rim of one of said cans on the surface and in the raised position is above said rim, and the bottom of the blade is above the top of said rim; and power means connected to the Wheel to rotate the wheel, said power means including a switch to energize the power means to rotate the can-turning wheel when the switch is actuated, said switch being operatively connected to the carrier arm to actuate the switch by the pivotal position of the carrier arm when the cutter blade is raised; whereby with said wheel in lowered position a can on the surface may be moved against the wheel and the wheel raised to engage under the rim of the can with the can being raised by the upward movement of the wheel until the can is caught between the wheel and the blade raised to energize the power means to commence rotation of the wheel.

4-. An electric can opener for opening cans of a given height having a rim about the top thereof, and adapted to be used in conjunction with a work surface on which a can is positioned, said opener including: a frame, said frame including a front face; a bracket rearwardly of said front face and movable between a lowered and a raised position; a stud projecting from the front face; a carrier arm pivotally mounted on the stud and movable axially on the stud; a cover plate over the carrier arm, said cover plate having an inwardly projecting finger between said support and stud; means to releasably secure said plate to the face; means connected to said bracket to move said bracket between said positions; shaft means rotatably mounted in said frame for rotation about an approximately horizontal axis and connected to the bracket to be raised and lowered with the bracket, said shaft means being movable axially with respect to said frame; means resiliently urging said shaft to a given axial position with respect to the frame and including an adjusting screw to selectively vary the given axial position of the shaft with respect to the frame; a can-turning wheel attached to said shaft means, projecting beyond said face and having an outer end spaced from said face; a cutter blade attached to the arm and projecting downwardly below the top of the wheel when the wheel is in a raised position, the bottom of the blade being above the top of the wheel when the wheel is in the lowered position, said blade having an inner face spaced from the outer end of the wheel when the wheel is in the raised position to engage a portion of a can therebetween, said blade having an outer face in juxtaposition to the finger to limit the outward movement of the blade; means connected to the frame to support the frame at an elevation with respect to the surface such that the top of the wheel in the lowered position is below the rim of one of said cans on the surface and in the raised position is above said rim, and the bottom of the blade is above the top of said rim; and power means connected to the Wheel to rotate the wheel, said power means including a switch to energize the power means to rotate the turning wheel when the switch is actuated, said switch being operatively connected to the carrier arm to actuate the switch by the pivotal position of the carrier arm when the cutter blade is raised; whereby with said wheel in lowered position a can on the surface may be moved against the wheel and the wheel raised to engage under the rim of the can with the can being raised by the upward movement of the wheel until the can is caught between the wheel and the blade raised to energize the power means to commence rotation of the wheel.

5.-An electric can opener for use with a source of electric power for opening No. 10 cans having a given height and a rim about, the top thereof, and adapted to be used in conjunction with a work surface on which a can is positioned, said opener including: a frame; a bracket movable between a lowered and a raised position; means connected to said bracket to move said bracket between said positions; a can-turning wheel and shaft means rotatably mounted in said frame and connected to said bracket to be raised and lowered with the bracket, said can-turning wheel having an outer end l l y spaced from a side of said frame; a cutter blade attached to the frame and projecting downwardly below the top of the wheel when the wheel is'in a raised position, the bottom of the blade being above the top of the wheel when the, wheel is in the lowered position, said blade having an inner face spaced from the outer end of the wheel whenthe wheel is in the raised position to engage a portion of a can therebetween; means connected to the frame to support the frame at an elevation with respect to the surface such that the top of the wheel in the lowered position is below the rim of, one of said cans on the surface and in the raised position is above said rim, and the bottom of the blade is above the top of said rim; and power means connected to the wheel to rotate the wheel, said power means including a pair of shadedpoleinduction motors connected in paralleh'resilient belt drives for each, and an electric switch connected to the motors to energize the motors from said source oniy after a can has been raised to a position at which the rim is between the cutter and the wheel; whereby with said wheel in lowered position a can on the surface may be moved against the Wheel and the Wheel raised to engage under the rim of the can withthe can being raised by the upward movement of the wheel until the can is caught between the wheeland the blade before the power means is effective to commence rotation of they/heel;

6. An electric can opener for use with a source of electric power for opening No. cans having a given height and a rim about thetop thereof, and adapted to be used in conjunction with a work surface on which a can is positioned, said opening including: a frame, said A .r l2. s

gage under the rim of the can with the can being raised by the upward movement of the wheel until the can is caught between the wheel and the blade raised to energize the power means to commence rotation of the wheel.

1 7. In an electric can opener for opening cans and including a front face and a power driven can-turning wheel projecting beyond said front face, the improvement comprising: a stud projecting from said face at one side of the wheelpa headed support projecting from the front face at the opposite side of (the wheel from the stud; a carrier arm pivotally mounted, on the stud and movable axially on the stud; a 'cover'p'lateover the carrier arm and stud and having means fitting about a portion of the support to rcleasably secure said portion to the support; a bolt threaded into the stud and having a head outside the cover plate and abutting the outside of the cover plate to reieasably hold'the cover plate onto the stud; means to adjnstably limit the pivotal movement of the carrier 7 arm; and a cutter ,blade affixed to thearm, projecting frame ncluding a front face; a bracket rearwardly of said front face and movable betweena lowered and a raised position; a stud projecting from the front face; a carrier arm pivotally mounted on the stud and movable axially on the stud; a cover plate over the carrier arm and stud, said cover plate having an inwardly projecting finger spaced fromvsaid stud; means to releasably secure said plate to the face; means connected to said bracket to move,

said bracket between said positions; shaft means rotatably mounted in said frame for rotation about an approximately horizontal axis and connected to the bracket to be raised and lowered with the bracket, said shaft means being movable axially with respect to said frame; means resiliently urging said shaft to a given axial position with respect to the frame and including an adjusting screw to selectively vary the given axial position of the shaft with respect to the frame; a can-turning wheel attached to said shaft means and having an outer end projecting beyond said face; a cutter blade attached to the arm and projectingdownwardly below the top of the wheel when the wheel is in a raised position, the bottomof the blade being above the top of the wheel when the wheel is in the lowered position, said blade having an inner face spaced from the outer end, of the wheel when the wheel is in the raised position to engage a portion of a can therebetween, saidblade having an outer face in juxtaposition to thefinger to limit the outward movement of the blade; means connected to the frame to support the frame at an elevation with respect to the surface such that the top of the wheel in the lowered position is below the rim of one,

said wheel in lowered position a can on the surface'may; be moved against the wheel and the wheel raised to endownward from the rim and in juxtaposition to the wheel; whereby the removal of said bolt permitsthe removal of the arm and blade to facilitate the cleaning of the front of the can opener.

8. In an electric can opener for opening cans and ineluding a front face and a power driven can-turning wheel 7 projecting beyond said front face, the improvement comprising: a stud projecting from said face at one side of the wheel; a carrrier arm pivotally mounted on the stud and movable axially onthe stud; a cover plate over the carrier arm; means to releasably hold the cover plate,

onto the face; means to limit the movement, of the arm;

and a cutter blade affixed to the arm projecting downward from the arm and in juxtaposition tov the wheel; whereby the removal of the cover plate permits the removal of v a rotating'shaft, the improvement comprising: a stud projecting from said face at one side of the wheel; mounting means on said face-at the opposite side of said wheel; a carrier arm'pivotally mounted on the stud and'movable axially on the stud; a cover plate over the carrier arm and stud and having means to releasably hold one portion 1 of the plate to said mounting means; a bolt threaded into the stud and having a head outside the cover plate and abutting the outsiderof the coverplate to releasably hold the cover plate onto the stud;.means to limit the moveo me'nt of the arm; a cutter blade aflixed to the arm projecting downward fro'm the arm and in juxtaposition to the wheel; said can-turning wheel having an angular opening therein; said shaft havingan angular end corresponding in shape to said angular opening and only slightly smaller than the-opening whereby the wheel will slip into said end'to rotate with the shaft; and means to frictionally hold the wheel on'the shaft, whereby the wheel may be removed from the shaft by a force suffi'cient to overcome the frictional resistance; whereby" the removal of said bolt permits the removal of the arm and blade to facilitate the cleaning of the front of the can opener, and the wheel may be pulled from the shaft for cleaning.

7 References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,794,245 6/57 Gundelfinger et al'. 30-4 2,896,319 7/59 Pinette 304 2,952,073 9/60 Congdon 30-4 3,002,274 10/61 Jepson et a1. 304 3,031,751 62 Hart 30-4 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. EDWARD v. BENHAM, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,178, 813 April 20, 1965 George L, Congdon It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 8, line 74, for "heated" read headed column 9, line 17, for "and" read said --n Signed and sealed this 23rd day of November 1965.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. AN ELECTRIC CAN OPENER FOR OPENING CAN OF A GIVEN HEIGHT HAVING A RIM ABOUT THE TOP THEREOF, AND ADAPTED TO BE USED IN CONJUCTION WITH A WORK SURFACE ON WHICH A CAN IS POSITIONED, SAID OPENER INCLUDING: A FRAME, SAID FRAME INCLUDING A FRONT FACE; A BRACKET REARWARDLY OF SAID FRONT FACE AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A LOWERED AND A RAISED POSITION; A STUD PROJECTING FROM THE FRONT FACE; A CARRIER ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE STUD AND MOVABLE AXIALLY ON THE STUD; A COVER PLATE OVER THE CARRIER ARM AND RELEASABLY SECURED IN PLACE TO HOLD THE CARRIER ARM AXIALLY ON THE STUD; AND MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY LIMIT THE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE CARRIER ARM; MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID BRACKET TO MOVE SAID BRACKET BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS; A CAN-TURNING WHEEL AND SHAFT MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME AND CONNECTED TO SAID BRACKET TO BE RAISED AND LOWERED WITH THE BRACKET, SAID CAN-TURNING WHEEL PROJECTING BEYOND SAID FRONT FACE AND HAVING AN OUTER END SPACED FROM SAID FACE; A CUTTER BLAE ATTCHED TO THE ARM AND PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY BELOW THE TOP OF THE WHEEL WHEN THE WHEEL IS IN A RAISED POSITIONED, THE BOTTOM OF THE BLADE BEING ABOVE THE TOP OF THE WHEEL WHEN THE WHEEL IS IN THE LOWERED POSITION, SAID BLADE HAVING AN INNER FACE SPACED FROM THE OUTER END OF THE WHEEL WHEN THE WHEEL IS IN THE RAISED POSITION TO ENGAGE A PORTION OF A CAN THEREBETWEEN; MEANS CONNECTED TO THE FRAME TO SUPPORT THE FRAME AT AN ELEVATION WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE SUCH THAT THE TOP OF THE WHEEL IN THE LOWERED POSITION IS BELOW THE RIM OF ONE OF SID CANS ON THE SURFACE AND IN THE RAISED POSITION IS ABOVE SAID RIM, AND THE BOTTOM OF THE BLADE IS ABOVE THE TOP OF SAID RIM, AND POWER MEANS CONNECTED TO THE WHEEL TO ROTATE THE WHEEL, SAID POWER MEANS INCLUDING A SWITCH TO ENERGIZE THE POWER MEANS TO ROTATE THE CAN-TURNING WHEEL WHEN THE SWITCH IS ACTUATED, SAID SWITCH BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE CARRIER ARM TO ACTUATE THE SWITCH BY THE PIVOTAL POSITION OF THE CARRIER ARM WHEN THE CUTTER BLADE IS RAISED; WHEREBY WITH SAID WHEEL IN LOWERED POSITION A CAN ON THE SURFACE MAY BE MOVED AGAINST THE WHEEL AND THE WHEEL RAISED TO ENGAGE UNDER THE RIM OF THE CAN WITH THE CAN BEING RAISED BY THE UPWARD MOVEMENT OF WHEEL UNTIL THE CAN IS CAUGHT BETWEEN THE WHEEL AND THE BLADE RAISED TO ENERGIZE THE POWER MEANS TO COMMENCE ROTATION OF THE WHEEL. 